Although alcohol abuse is a serious problem in our society, effective treatments for reducing voluntary alcohol consumption are lacking.
One commonly used treatment is the administration of an alcohol-sensitizing drug, of which disulfiram (Antabuse: trade mark of Ayerst) is probably the best known. Such drugs do not reduce alcohol intake by interference with the biological mechanisms involved in alcohol intake, but rather induce an aversive reaction to consumed alcohol in the subject, so as to deter further drinking. Such treatment is unpleasant for the subject should alcohol be consumed, patient compliance is poor and evidence of the treatment's effectiveness is weak.
Another approach has been the use of agents which alter neurochemical activity, for example the administration of antidepressants such as lithium.
Indications that brain serotonin levels may be low in alcoholics have led to treatment with drugs which are serotonin uptake inhibitors, such as zimelidine and citalopram.
None of these treatments has proved particularly effective.
Recent studies by the inventors have shown that various manipulations which are known to affect the renin-angiotensin system, such as restriction of salt intake and administration of diuretics, also modulate voluntary alcohol consumption in rats.
One class of agents which affect the renin-angiotensin system is the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors which prevent conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II. These agents are known to be useful in the treatment of hypertension and such use has shown them to be safe and without significant side-effects.